Center Director Testified at Senate Hearing on Childhood Obesity
The U.S Senate Committee on Health, Educ
ation, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on reducing childhood obesity.
Witnesses--like U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin; RWJF Center Director Dr. Joe Thompson; Sandra Hassink, Chairwoman of the Obesity Leadership Workgroup at the American Academy of Pediatrics; and Rashard Mendenhall, NFL running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers--all testified on ways to reduce this epidemic.
Watch the hearing or click here to view Dr. Thompson’s testimony.
Listen to RWJF Center Bonus Q&A Session featuring Jim Gerstein and Vicki Berands
Did you join us for our February 25th webinar: “Seizing the Moment: Efforts Underway to Improve our Schools?” If so, listen to our post-webinar questions & answer session audio clip!
In this 15 minute conversation, webinar panelists Jim Gerstein, founding partner of Gerstein|Agne; and Vicki Berends, marketing director at California Project LEAN, discuss additional questions that were not answered during our past webinar.
If you didn't have the opportunity to join us for the webinar on February 25th, watch the full presentation here for more background.
Center Webinar on Farm-to-School Programs
Join The RWJF Center for our webinar series: “Making Schools the Model for Healthier Environments."
Thursday, March 11, 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central, 11 a.m. Pacific)
Sowing Seeds: Improving Food Quality with Farm-to-School Programs
Featuring:
- Anupama Joshi, Director, National Farm to School Program
- Angela Glover Blackwell, Principal Advisor to Center Director, RWJF Center; and Founder and CEO, PolicyLink (moderator)
- Marion Kalb, Co-Director, National Farm to School Network, Community Food Security Coalition
- Michelle Markesteyn Ratcliffe, Manager, Farm to School Program, The Oregon Department of Agriculture
New RWJF Center Legislative Update
Want to keep up with the various federal bills about childhood obesity and obesity prevention? This new page will keep you up to date with what's happening and how legislation is moving.For more information, please visit: www.reversechildhoodobesity.org/legislation.
Food Marketing Workgroup Responds to FCC
The RWJF Center, as part of the Food Marketing to Children Workgroup, recently submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission. The workgroup responded directly to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on the impact of the evolving media landscape. Click here to read the group's letter.
Resource Spotlight: Parks, Playgrounds and Active Living
This recent Active Living Research synthesis summarizes a growing body of evidence concerning the role of parks in shaping active lifestyles across a variety of study populations, including children, seniors, lower-income families, specific racial and ethnic groups and other populations at high risk of being inactive.To read the report, click here.

